# Finally getting around to Cheap Trick

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-getting-around-to-cheap-trick/748234>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 7, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-getting-around-to-cheap-trick/748234 "2016-03-07T19:47:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-getting-around-to-cheap-trick/748234/41 "2016-03-25T17:13:17Z")

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> [@SykoSkotty](#):
>
> Well, here’s my take on the lyrics and the meaning of the song. It starts out with (probably) a young teen talking to a girl, then getting advice from his parents, then realizing that they’re actually kind of hip & cool.
> 
> So, the last verse, “Whatever happened to all this season’s Losers of the Year? Ev’rytime I got to thinking, where’d they disappear?”
> 
> To me that means his attitude towards his parents is changing - they’re not losers anymore. Where’d those old folks that I hated go? These new hip parents ain’t so bad after all…in fact, they’re on the couch getting it on, smoking weed and having sex!
> 
> "Then I woke up - Mom & Dad were rollin’ on the couch!
> 
> Rollin’ numbers rocking rolling
> 
> Got my KISS records out!"

For years, I had misheard the line as “my _kids’_ records” and thought that considerable time had passed between the first two verses and the last one, so that the singer was now a grown man with teenish-aged children of his own and his formerly square parents had really loosened up and gotten much more cool with old age. I still like that interpretation even if the actual lyrics don’t support it. 🙂

Also, I have not heard Cheap Trick’s cover of “Don’t Be Cruel” enough times.

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**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-getting-around-to-cheap-trick/748234/42 "2016-03-26T19:29:01Z")

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> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#):
>
> Historical perspective, central Wisconsin, 1977-1979:
> 
> At the time, KISS wasn’t cool. They had their fans and all, but in the mainstream opinion, liking KISS made you a bit of an outcast. Almost as bad as liking disco.
> 
> Despite the fact that they were “my KISS records”, I’m not entirely sure if the singer thought his parents were cool or pathetic for listening to them.
> 
> In the concert I was at, at that lyric Zander threw a KISS album into the crowd. Don’t know which one, if it had anything special, or even if the vinyl was still inside. And, despite being pretty close to the stage, I never got a pick!

I saw them on the Dream Police tour, and in Philly, he threw Destroyer into the crowd. Saw them open for Aerosmith years later. Both were great, fun shows.

I’d also add “Top of the World” to the must listen list.

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